A broad array of homecare, topical personal care, cosmetic, pharmaceutical, and personal hygiene products are available. These products include cleaners, odor absorbers, sports and athletic sprays and powders, antiperspirants, foot and body powders, body sprays, and deodorants. Other types of products are available to absorb sebum oils and residues generated by the sebaceous glands within a person's skin. Products of these types are widespread within the home and personal care industries and the search for new and effective additives for such purposes has existed for many years.
Clays, for example, have been used to absorb odors and perspiration. The physical properties of the clay such as platelet size and degree of platelet stacking in part determine the effectiveness of the clay given the application. Unlike heavily perfumed products that mask odors and can lead to skin irritations, clays are generally non-irritating to the skin. However, most naturally occurring clay minerals may be in an impure state and the complete purification of some may be difficult and expensive. Common contaminants found in naturally occurring clay minerals may include arsenic, lead, chromium, and titanium. Thus, it may be desirable to manufacture synthetic clay-like materials in substantially purer forms with commercially economic yields. Commercial synthetic routes to clays can involve hydrothermal synthesis and/or multiple reaction steps which can increase the cost of synthetic clays relative to the naturally occurring materials. Thus, there exists a need for inexpensive synthetic clays with appropriate physical properties for use in cosmetics, personal care products, and other applications. Layered magnesium aluminosilicates can be described as a type of clay comprising alternating layers of octahedrally co-ordinated magnesium atoms and tetrahedrally co-ordinated silicon and/or aluminum atoms. Magnesium aluminosilicate clays have a negative layer charge which can be balanced by cations. The type of charge balancing cations can affect the characteristics of the magnesium aluminosilicate clays. Among other uses, clays such as magnesium aluminosilicates, can be used in cosmetics or personal care products due to their physical properties such as odor and oil absorbance. Examples of further applications in which layered magnesium aluminosilicates may be used include, but are not limited to, coatings, inks, greases, home-care products, nanocomposites, drilling fluids, pharmaceuticals, catalysis, purification methodologies, or ion-exchange applications.
Depending on the intended use, it may be desirable to provide control over the morphology, size, crystallinity, and/or charge of synthetic magnesium aluminosilicates. It may be desirable to economically produce a material that exhibits improved performance in various applications. It may also be of interest to manufacture synthetic magnesium aluminosilicate clays having properties similar to or better than naturally occurring magnesium aluminosilicate clays. Such improved properties may include improved Theological control, purity, crystallinity, and morphology.